Who We Are

Our Purpose -

We are a small family owned fishing jig business that provides the fishing community with beautiful hand crafted fishing tackle. All of our jig products are entirely hand made start to finish, from the casting of the lead, painting of the heads, and tying of the marabou. Our purpose is to bring back quality and craft to the fishing industry by providing the best jigs on the market. Not only are they beautiful, they work, plain and simple. From trophy pike, smallmouth, and walleye, to crappie, bluegill, and perch, Thompson’s Fishing Jigs provides a jig to catch them all.

Craft /kraft/ - An activity involving skill in making things by hand.

We specialize in crafting by hand the highest quality jigs you can buy. With our hands on every aspect of the process from casting, painting, and the tying of the jigs we can ensure the absolute best quality product. Our jigs are truly unique, not just because of our custom molds derived from 60 year old originals owned by my great grandfather, but because of the time and effort put into every jig. We provide fishermen a top of the line product that both looks and performs beautifully.

A Bit About Our Story -

You might ask what is Thompson's Fishing Jigs? Well, let me tell you a little about who we are and how we got our start -

Humble Beginnings -

Although not officially Thompson’s Fishing Jigs yet, our story begins sometime in the 50’s, started by my great grandfather Charles Thompson Sr. and grandfather Charles Thompson Jr. In those days it was not about making money, but about saving money doing something they loved. In the beginning they were driven simply to make their own fishing tackle so they wouldn’t have to go out and buy it from someone else. From there it transformed into the pursuit of a better bait, something they could customize and tailor to what and where they were fishing. Much of what they crafted in those early days was for personal use; it was simply a cheaper and more efficient way of doing what they loved.

It wasn't until years later in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80's that my grandfather Charles Jr. started selling and marketing his handmade jigs as "Chucks Fishing Baits. He sold them to curious fishermen and local bait shops in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Grandpas original line of jigs were tied with badger fur, thats right badger fur, and included just four head colors; Pink, Yellow, unpainted lead, and a split Black over Yellow. My Grandfathers badger hair jigs set him apart from all others, making his product instantly recognizable, not to mention they worked extremely well. Tipped with a minnow, dead sticked, trolled, or simply finesse jigged they produced fish and people noticed. One of his best customers was a small bait shop, located on Lake Wisconsin in Okee. When times were good Grandpa was tying non stop, selling jigs by the dozen to local shops. People couldn’t get enough of Chucks Fishing Baits because of their quality and ability to catch fish.

As time passed and my grandfather got older he sold less and less. Tying countless jigs after a long days work was taxing and became no longer feasible, so over time he dialed back his production and sold less and less. Finally he stopped selling all together and tied jigs solely for his personal use and his families. While my grandfather was tying his jigs my father and uncles kept a close eye and learned the craft for themselves. They sat and contently observed Grandpa work, sometimes lending a hand as the process often needed more hands than just my Grandfathers. Over time they learned for themselves every aspect of the process and began tying them on their own.

Wrapping It Up -

The knowledge passed down to my Father and Uncles from my Great Grandfather and Grandfather, has now made its way to me. I am the fourth generation Thompson to tie our signature jigs, and it is my privilege to again offer these amazing jigs to my fellow fishermen. Thompson’s Fishing Jigs provides you a product passed down and perfected over the past 60 years, we hope you appreciate the craftsmanship and quality of our products as much as we do.

Please enjoy thoroughly,

Ryan